Things to do in Kotor
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kotor
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best weather, everything open, warm and swimmable with manageable cruise pressure.
Very good in late April and early October, cheaper and emptier with more rain risk.
Worst for most in late July and August with heat, cruise ships, slow roads and peak prices.
Quietest and wettest, many places close or shorten hours and boats are weather limited.
What's on
- Kotor Winter Carnival February
Masked processions and the burning of the carnival effigy, the Old Town at its most local.
- Shooting the Rooster mid-May
A centuries old Perast tradition on the water that opens the Perast season.
- KotorArt International Festival late June to July
Classical concerts, theatre and children's programmes in churches and squares over several weeks.
- Fašinada 22 July
Decorated boats row to Our Lady of the Rocks at sunset and drop stones to maintain the islet.
- Kotor Summer Carnival late July to early August
Costumed groups and street parties in the Old Town, stacking onto peak crowds.
- Bokeljska Noć late August
A parade of illuminated boats off Kotor, followed by fireworks and an all night street party.
- International Klapa Festival September
A cappella klapa singing in Perast's square, atmospheric and uncrowded.
Best things to do in Kotor
Kotor Old Town
Car free medieval lanes, squares and palaces that reward slow wandering and early or late timing.
Fortress of St John
The 1350 step wall climb gives the defining view over Old Town roofs and the bending bay.
St Tryphon Cathedral
Kotor's main cathedral adds Romanesque history, treasury work and the town patron's relics in under an hour.
Maritime Museum of Montenegro
Ship models and captains' histories in a Baroque palace explain why the bay towns were built.
Our Lady of the Rocks
A man made islet church and museum reached by a short boat from palace lined Perast.
Kotor Cable Car
An 11 minute ride from near sea level to high mountain views over the whole bay.
Dobrota waterfront
A flat waterfront promenade past palaces and bathing platforms where locals swim and stroll.
Kotor Green Market
Stalls outside the walls sell Njeguši ham, cheese, olive oil, honey and fruit for a picnic.
Where to stay in Kotor
Dobrota
best all-round base
Waterfront living a flat walk from the walls, with swimming, parking and quiet nights.
Kotor Old Town
1 to 2 nights, car-free, atmosphere-first
Sleeping in a palace gives you the early mornings and late evenings day trippers miss.
Muo and Prčanj
quiet west shore with a car
Calm villages across the bay looking back at Kotor, with good value family apartments.
Perast
romantic splurge base
One Baroque street with the islets in front of your window and near silence at night.
Stoliv, Tivat and Luštica Bay
resort stays that visit Kotor
Larger hotels with beaches, pools and spas, 15 to 35 minutes from Kotor by road or boat.
Think twice about
- Sea Gate and harbour strip
Crowds and noise on cruise days, not risk. Use it to arrive, sleep elsewhere or time visits around ships.
- Škaljari main road
Busy traffic south of the walls with no waterfront charm and the least pleasant walk home in town.
- Remote Stoliv shore properties without a car
Beautiful but the narrow road and taxi dependence can strand you at night.
Best restaurants in Kotor
Restaurant Galion
White tablecloth seafood on a terrace over the bay facing the illuminated walls, best at sunset.
Ćatovića Mlini
A 200 year old mill in lush gardens serving impeccable seafood in the bay's prettiest lunch setting.
Stari Mlini
A 16th century mill by streams and a fish pond for whole grilled fish, octopus and risottos.
Konoba Scala Santa
One of the Old Town's oldest konobas, down a lantern lit lane, for black risotto and octopus.
Restaurant Pržun
A small square favourite for careful regional cooking across meat, fish and pasta.
La Catedral Pasta Bar
Fresh pasta by the cathedral at honest prices, with a queue in season that moves.
Konoba Portun
A waterfront Dobrota konoba for a seafood platter and fig cake at prices below the Old Town.
Resto Bar Taraca
Creative seafood and strong vegetarian options just outside the walls, away from cruise crowds.
Outdoor things to do in Kotor
Blue Cave
A speedboat circuit to the glowing Blue Cave, submarine tunnels and Our Lady of the Rocks.
Mausoleum of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš
A mountain mausoleum in Lovćen reached by hundreds of steps, with views over half the country.
Ladder of Kotor
A quieter old mule path climb behind the fortress with bay views and a small cheese stop.
Fort Vrmac
A moderate ridge hike to a free fortress with views down both arms of the bay at once.
Kotor Bay kayaking
Calm inner bay paddling past Muo, Prčanj and Dobrota palaces, best on glassy morning water.
Gornji Stoliv
A flat coastal bike ride then a shaded hike to a near abandoned stone village above Perast views.
Lake Skadar
Boat channels through lilies and wetlands on the Balkans' largest lake, rich in birdlife.
Tara River rafting
A long northern expedition for white water rafting in a deep canyon of famously clean water.
Best hotels in Kotor
Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort
A large bay resort with private beach and pools, best treated as a base for Kotor excursions.
Forza Mare
A small five star Dobrota waterfront hotel with beach platforms, spa and fine dining.
Forza Terra
The sister Dobrota boutique to Forza Mare, with full service luxury a stroll from the walls.
Boutique Hotel Astoria
Luxury rooms inside a 13th century palace on a main Old Town square, with a small spa.
The Chedi Luštica Bay
A polished design hotel with private beaches in the Luštica Bay marina town.
HUMA Kotor Bay Hotel & Villas
A larger five star Dobrota hotel with private beach and pool, handy for families wanting facilities.
Hotel Hippocampus
A design led boutique in the walls with a rooftop terrace locals praise for breakfast.
Hotel Monte Cristo
A converted bishop's residence near the cathedral with historic bones and sensible mid range comfort.
Is Kotor expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €50 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €120 a person |
| Splurge | €320 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- 360 Monte Old Town walking tour: a few days ahead
- Blue Cave: a few days ahead
- Mausoleum of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš: a few days ahead
- Kotor Bay kayaking: a few days ahead
- Gornji Stoliv: a few days ahead
- Lake Skadar: a few days ahead
- Tara River rafting: weeks ahead
- The Peaks Luštica Bay: a few days ahead
- Book waterfront Dobrota and Old Town boutiques months ahead for June to September.
- Book Galion for a terrace table, and private boats and the Great Montenegro Tour in peak weeks.
- The cable car is walk up but check its status that morning because wind closes it.
Is Kotor safe?
- Kotor is described as very low in street crime, including the Dobrota promenade and Old Town lanes late at night.
- Watch for slippery polished stone, unguarded fortress edges, sea urchins and dusk mosquitoes.
- Carry cash for the fortress booth, markets and buses because card machines can be unreliable.
Kotor travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Midday Old Town and the fortress at noon in August heat and cruise crowds.
- Restaurants with touts, photo menus and fish with no price by weight. Confirm the whole fish price before cooking.
- Paying private boat prices for Perast alone when the 5 euro shuttle plus village time is better.
Getting around Kotor: public transport and more
- Walk the Old Town and Dobrota promenade. Local buses run the bay road to Perast and Tivat for about 1 to 2 euros.
- Tivat airport is 15 to 20 minutes in light traffic. Dubrovnik is about 2 hours plus a border crossing.
- Rent a car for excursion days to Perast, Lovćen and Luštica rather than the whole stay, and confirm parking.
Who Kotor suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Kotor your trip
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